Improvement in vacuum apparatus for treating diseases



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED F. JONES, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

Specification forming part .of Letters Patent No. 44,19S, dated September 13, i864.

To all whom it mcy concern Be it known that I, ALFRED F. JONES, of Lexington, Fayette county, State ot' KenA tucky, have invented a new and useful apparatus, which I term a Restorator,7 to be used in the treatmentof diseases; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my restorator complete and ready for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 show the construction of the gage which is used for registering the amount of pressure.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

` The object of my invention is to produce a uniform circulation of the iuids in the human body, and thereby induce a normal action of the secretory organs of persons aiijicted with disease by inclosing the body within an airtight vessel and exhausting air from said vessel so as to produce an external pressure, which can be regulated according to the strength of the person thus treated, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a box, which may be constructed of wood or metal, or of both of these materials combined, and of any desirable shape and size. For all ordinary purposes the box A may be made of sufficient size to contain an adult when seated in the position represented in Fig. 2. The box A is entered through an opening in its top, which opening is surround- 'ed by a flange, d, projecting outward, and

constructed with a bead on its upper edge, as shown in Fig. 2. This opening through the box is provided with a cover, which is adapted to fit within the flange a, and this cover is constructed of two parts, b b', united together by a sliding fastening, which consists merely ot' two tenons or tongues formed on the portion b, which enter corresponding holes made in the portion b. When these two portions b b are put together, there is an opening between them, which is lettered d in Fig. 2, and adapted for encircling the neck of the person sitting in the box, so that all that portion cf the body below the neck can bc in closed within the box A. The cover b b is adjusted in place after the person is comfortably seated in the box A, and as ,this cover does not hermetically seal the opening through the box A, I employ a cape, e, which forms a part of a hood, e', that incloses the head ot' the patient, with thc exception of the breathing organs, as shown clearly in Figs. l and 2. rlhe cape c extends over the top of the lianged opening above described, and is drawn tightly around the ilange c by means ot' a strong band, f, the ends of which are crossed after the parts are all adjusted in place and afxed to sliding plates g g, which are moved by means ot' screws lL 71 as shown in Fig. l. By means of the hand fand the straps t t' the box A can be rendered air-tight without any inconvenience to the person sitting in it. The bands it' draw the hood e tightly around or about the head, so that' air will not enter through the face-opening in this hood, and thc cushions jj serve to protect the ears from painful pressure by the head-bands. 'If desirable, a cupe, e2, may beinterposed between the surface of the cover b b and the cape e, as shown in the sectional view, Fig. 2. rlhe capes and hood should be made of some material which is impervious to air, and for this purposeindiarubber will be found to answer.

Having thus described the mode of making the apparatus air-tight, I will proceed to describe the method of exhausting air from the box A, and of determining the external pressure upon the person sitting in said box.

B represents a common air-pump having a single barrel or cylinder, which is connected to the box A so as to communicate with the interior thereof. The air-pump may be connected to the box A by a permanent fastening, or it may be so applied to this box that it can be removed therefrom at pleasure.

The drawing, Fig. l represents the exhaustin g or air pump applied permanently to one side of the box A; but I do not confine myself to such an arrangement, as various modes of exhausting the air from the box A mayr be adopted.

C represents a dialplate, which is properly graduated on its face, and 7c is an index hand or pointer which points to the numerals indi cated on the dial-plate, and which is suitably attached to a stem, l, that carries a pulley, m. The pulley m is inclosed by the box D, which is affixed to one side of the box A, as shown in Figs. l and 4. Beneath the pulley m, and arranged at right angles to this pulley, is another pulley, a. From the pulley m depends a cord, o, carrying a Weight, p. This cord passes over pulley m and under pulley n, and is attached to an elastic drum-head, E, which is drawn tightly over the flange s, which surrounds an opening, F, through the side of the box A. WVhen the pump B is operated, the pressure of the external air will force the elastic head E inward, as indicated in red lines, Fig. 4, and thus cause the loaded cord o to rotate the pulley m, and thus move the index-hand according to the amount of depression of the head E. By means of this indicator the operator can readily read oft' on the dial-plate the amount of pressure upon the person thus treated. When the external pressure becomes too great, the stop-cock G is opened, and air allowed to enter the box A, until the person sitting in it feels comfortable.

My improved apparatus operates upon the human system as an alterative, there being two atmospheres of different densities applied to the body at the same time-that which surrounds the body is light, While that which is taken into the lungs is heavy, or of the natural density. rI he pressure which is taken oft' the body, by partially exhausting the air from the box or chest A, together with the common atmosphere, which is taken into the lungs, forces the blood to the extremities, thus breaking up con gestions and equalizing the nervous forces. An artery, a vein, and a nerve are always associated and run side by side, from the largest to the most minute vesv sels, and any derangement in one affects the other. So, when there is congestion or accumula-tion of the blood at one point, from iniiammation or any other cause, the nerves Will suffer also, and reiiect their iniiuence on the general system. If this congestion be broken up, and the nerves be restored to their normal condition, the cause will be removed and the patient Will be relieved. The exhausted-air treatment operates on thenervous system by diffusing and equalizing the nervous forces, thus restoring a more healthful action to the capillary circulation, and stimulating the lymphatic absorbents to take up the morbid excretions.

In experimenting with my invention I have cured paralysis, neural gia, rheumatism, seminal weakness, asthma, bronchitis, and dyspepsia. I have cured deafness Where there was no organic derangement of the ear, and I have reason to believe that when properly and j udiciously applied many other diseases may be cured by my improved treatment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters- Patent, is

An apparatus for the treatment of disease,

consisting of a receptacle, A, which is capable of being made air-tight, an air-pump, B, and a registering apparatus or gage for determining the pressure of air upon the person partially inclosed within said receptacle, substantially as described.

ALFRED F. JONES. Witnesses:

JN0. A. FORD, GHs. J. KRoEsrNG. 

